Jackson only got one season to prove his worth with the Raiders after finishing 8-8 in a season in which the team started 7-4. He compiled a 56-52 overall record, reaching the AFC Championship game in 1990. This transcript was automatically generated, and then edited for clarity in its current form. The dearth of African American offensive NFL head coaches is both systemic and deep-rooted, owing in parts to networking practices, the embers of retrograde stereotypes and the lasting effects of . Tucker was the interim head coach of the Jaguars for the last five games of the 2011 season. Former head coach: Nathaniel Hackett. That is something that never seems to get noticed when we talk about the Rooney Rule. He served in the same double capacity with the Atlanta Falcons in 2020. Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. In 2002, the Texans entered the NFL as an expansion team, with Dom Capers (2002-05) as the team's first head coach. Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. These days, he runs a sports law program at Villanova University and hosts the Business of Sports podcast. Jackson took over for Tom Cable, who went 8-8 in his final season with the team. That makes grand total of three in a 32-team league where 60% of players are Black. Lewis was 8-8 his first season. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. 20 Black NFL Coaches 20. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. After serving as defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills in 2021, Frazier interviewed for the Chicago Bears head coaching job. Raheem Morris was an NFL head coach with two separate teams from 2009 to 2020, including leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2009 to 2011, with the first three seasons of that tenure including double-duty as the teams defensive coordinator. Mike Tomlin has been one of the best black head coaches in the modern NFL. During his entire head coaching career, his two teams combined for a record of 37-42-1 across five seasons including going 1-2-0 in the playoffs, according to the Pro Football History website. Over a nearly 20-year career as a coach in the NFL, Leslie Frazier was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 2010 to 2013. For some reason, fans of all genders and races were stunned that Flores was unemployed as if Ross doesnt have a long history of being a contradictory figure. MORE: The NFL Has A Major Black Head Coach Problem. He had a 131-122-3 record in 16 seasons and reached the playoffs seven times. The following is a list of the top National Football League (NFL) head coaches in wins. Don Shula holds the current records for regular season wins at 328 and combined regular and postseason wins at 347. Schad interviewed Herm Edwards, he played in the NFL in the seventies and eighties. He was never coached by a man of color at any point in his career, and he said on the teams that he was a part of the coaching staff, there was always one coach of color, and it was almost always the running back's coach. Hue Jackson was an NFL head coach with two franchises for four seasons. McDaniel, who identifies as biracial, was named the head coach of the Dolphins in February 2022. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. OBrien was let go after starting the 2020 season 0-4, as the Texans finished 4-12 under interim coach Romeo Crennel. That's USA Today's Tom Schad, he's part of the NFL Coach's Project, USA Today's ongoing series analyzing the demographics of football coaches. Either way, Flores. Top Row: Lovie Smith, Marvin Lewis, Tony Dungy, Mike Tomlin, Jim Caldwell Botttom Row: Anthony Lynn, Romeo Crennel, Herm Edwards, Leslie Frazier, Brian Flores. Jim Caldwell has been head coach for two different NFL franchises: the Indianapolis Colts from 2009 to 2011 and the Detroit Lions from 2014 to 2017. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. You can just interview a black or minority head coach and know that you're not really going to hire them, you're just making sure you cross all your Ts and dot your Is before you make that hire of the white coach you want. Caldwell had an incredible debut season as a head coach, going 14-2 with the Colts on the way to an appearance in Super Bowl XLIV. In his three seasons in Indianapolis, Caldwell was 28-24 and replaced by Chuck Pagano. He is currently Michigan State's head coach. The Houston Texans broughtCulley in to clean up the mess that Bill OBrien left after he underachieved with J.J. Watt, Deshaun Watson, and DeAndre Hopkins on top of trading Hopkins and getting into it with Watt. Mike Singletary was the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. He was fired 8 games into his third season and finished with a 3-36-1 record. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers. There were five black NFL head coaches at the end of the 2022 season. As of the time that this list was published, Morris was seen as a leading candidate for the Minnesota Vikings head coaching vacancy. On today's episode of the 5 Things podcast:5 Things Sunday Host James Brown explores the NFL's Rooney rule which requires teams to interview minority coaches and staff when positions like head coach, general manager, and coordinator positions open. The rule was expanded in 2009 to include general managers as well as other front-office positions. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. I think that we're starting to see that response from a lot of ownerships and a lot of hiring practices. Romeo Crennel was a head coach for four seasons with the Cleveland Browns from 2005 to 2008 and later for one season with the Houston Texans, according to the Pro Football History website. There were three Black head coaches in the NFL when the Rooney Rule took effect, and the league hasn't made a ton of progress toward its goals in the years since. Flores still has upcoming interviews for head coaching positions with at least two other teams, so, considering the public relations fiasco that his lawsuit is, chances are that pressure will result in him being hired. Brian Flores was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2019 through the 2021 season, after which he was fired. The rule was named after Dan Rooney, then owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers. How would you use that player? Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. The Lions also had two playoff berths in four seasons, as compared to one playoff appearance in the previous 14 seasons. and over the next 13 seasons, which included seven years with the Indianapolis Colts, he racked up 148 total victories. Crennel was 6-10 in his first season and lasted four years in Cleveland with a 24-20 record. Of course, that type of logic is counterproductive and completely beside the point, what with the new racial discrimination lawsuit filed by a former Black head coach and alleging that the NFLs ownership is colluding to keep teams head coaches as white as possible. When I look at the NFL landscape from top to bottom, they are really behind when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Jacksons second stint as an NFL head coach was atrocious as he was 1-31 in his first two seasons in Cleveland. Todd Bowles was a head coach in the NFL for five seasons, beginning with the Miami Dolphins in the 2011 season and four other seasons leading the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018. He only coached eight total games, getting all three of his wins with Buffalo. Caldwell was brought in after the Jim Schwartz (gym shorts) era ended with 4-12 and 7-9 seasons. The Rooney Rule was enacted in 2003 as part of the NFL's plan to "develop a deep, sustainable talent pool at all levels of the organization" and "increase the number of minorities hired in head coach, general manager and executive positions.". To be sure, the NFL has had more than 500 head coaches over the course of more than a century of competition. Andrew Brandt agrees that the league has a long way to go and suggested similar programs to the one Whaley describes, but warned that the issue is complex and without easy answers. Lovie Smith was a head coach with the Chicago Bears for eleven seasons from 2004 to 2012 before he was hired as thehead coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2014to2015. With all the controversy surrounding the NFL and its alleged efforts at diversifying head coaching around the professional football league, its worth putting things in their proper perspective for folks who may be shrugging and wondering what the big deal is. True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame website, During his pro football career the two-time All-America played and sometimes coached for four different NFL teams, the Pros/Indians (1920-21/1925-26), the Milwaukee Badgers (1922), the Hammond Pros (1923, 1925), and the Providence Steam Roller (1925)., It also added: In 1928, Pollard organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African American professional team based in the Windy City.. Dungy later became the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. Sports news website the Ringer reported that Flores was not fired because of his coaching but rather because of his troubled relationship with team owner Stephen Ross, a supporter of former President Donald Trump who has refuted claims of racial discrimination. But as we see now, just like anything, people that have children and even to yourself, when someone says you have to do something, you're obviously automatically going to have a bias towards it. Caldwell was only in Detroit for four seasons, but the Lions made two postseason appearances under him. Jackson claims the Browns incentivized losing while he was head coach in order to increase the teams odds in the NFL Draft. Last year, Ryan served as defensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers who had one of the best defenses in the league. Our recent USA Today sports analysis found that in the last 20 years, about four white coaches were hired for every coach of color. One Black head coach in a league dominated by Black players. Green made the playoffs in eight of 10 seasons in Minnesota, with his most memorable campaign coming in 1998. Someone that has familiarity with your roster, a lot of our interview time was spent, what do you think of this player? Because I've learned that the best indicators of future success are self-motivation and self-discipline. I said, "What do you do before you go to the bathroom?" Marvin Lewis, who coached the Cincinnati Bengals for 16 seasons from 2003 to 2018, is among the current and former NFL coaches who have denounced the league for racial injustices and told NBC Sports that Black coaches have been getting sham interviews like those alleged by Brian Flores for years. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. What's the setup of their operation? Edwards was with the Chiefs for three seasons and compiled a 15-34 record that included a postseason loss to the Colts in his debut year. His career record is 92-90. We did a lot of reporting on this in the fall, and you had some people who basically suspected that a lot of it stems from playing positions. He was also a terrific running back, earning All-America honors in 1916 while playing for Brown University. What I was looking for is the kind of person that I don't know, does 50 pushups right out of bed, that makes a to-do list right out of bed, that has a routine. Exactly. Only one of five NFL head coaches hired this offseason was Black. Morris was tabbed as the man to follow the Jon Gruden era in Tampa a guy that still touts his Super Bowl title with the Bucs even though he coached a team that was crafted by Tony Dungy. He was named the Sporting News Coach of the Year in 1995. His teams won division titles four times and advanced to NFC Championship Games after the 1998 and 2000 seasons, the team wrote on its website. This in a league where seven out of ten players are minorities, and most of them black. Having them sit in non-interview settings with the decision makers, presidents, and owners, everything I've talked about. Other active head coaches to have won a Super Bowl are Mike Tomlin, John Harbaugh, Pete Carroll, Mike McCarthy, Sean Payton, Doug Pederson, Andy Reid, and Sean McVay. The year before, Norv Turner was 4-12, and the year after Shell left, Lane Kiffin was 4-12 in his first season. If they could bring that character into our building, others would pick up on those same qualities. He led the Oakland Raiders during the 2011 season and was the head coach for the Cleveland Browns from 2016 to 2018. Is it because the NFL is an organization akin to slavery, like blacklisted free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick said after he was effectively excommunicated from the league following his silent kneeling protest to demonstrate against the police brutality of Black people? There are just 32 NFL head coaching jobs, six or seven become vacant every year. from Todd Haley that season when he was let go after a 5-8 start. Hopefully, DeMecos hiring is the catalyst for more Black coaches in the NFL. Edwards was hired in Kansas City after the team went 10-6 in Dick Vermeils last season. Thank you for subscribing! | Source: Wesley Hitt / Getty. In the suit, Flores cites text messages from New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick, who said he believed he was contacting Brian Daboll, another coach interviewing for the New York Giants head coaching position. He compiled a record of 21-32. said his lawsuit will not be deterred regardless of whether he is or isnt an NFL head coach next season. Coaching rumors are heating up with three openings created on Monday morning. That's USA Today's sports reporter Tyler Dragon, he's been writing about the NFL for close to a decade. Thomas was the Falcons head coach for just four games before the team decided to hire someone else for the job in the offseason. Eric Studesville was the head coach for the Denver Broncos during the final four games of the 2010 season. He was replaced by Mangini who went 10-22 in two seasons. I'm proud to report today, my classes are basically 50/50. That's Doug Whaley. He says that change is even happening in his sports business classes. There is an old boys network and there's a network where you're going to really protect and promote your own. Anytime you have to implement a rule to interview a black head coaching candidate or a minority head coaching candidate, that's admitting there's a problem. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. The NFL currently has three head coaches that are of African American origin. He is embroiled in a lawsuit that he filed against multiple teams, including Miami, and the NFL for discriminatory hiring practices. Mike Tomlin, Mike McDaniel, Todd Bowles, Lovie Smith, and interim head coach Steve Wilkes. What's your familiarity, and what's your schemes? Emmitt Thomas. Tyler Dragon, sports reporter at USA Today says things played out differently than expected. Not only minorities, but people that are the decision makers. After leading the Buffalo Bills for one season in 2016. The league and the teams deny his claims, but Dragon isn't convinced. That certainly lines up with what Flores lawsuit is alleging. Podcasts: True crime, in-depth interviews and more USA TODAY podcasts right here. Anthony Lynn, who is black, went from running backs coach directly to head coach. One person called this positional segregation. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Emmitt Thomas Source:Getty Emmitt Thomas was named interim head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in the middle of the 2007 season after a sudden resignation left the position vacant. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. The league has even gone to such drastic measures as partnering with rap legend JAY Z in the name of entertainment and social justice as a way to help accomplish its evasive mission. Whaley is part of a group that launched One Global Culture Events, which helped minority candidates in pro sports connect with upper management. He stuck around for 15 more and was 131-129-3, but never won a playoff game in seven trips. He was then hired full-time and was 8-8 in his lone full season. He was replaced by Vic Fangio who was fired on Sunday. Tony Dungy has been coaching in the NFL for more than 40 years, including when he landed his first head coaching gig in 1996 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which he led for 13 seasons. The NFL's 32 teams began the season in full on Sunday with only three Black head coaches and two Black general managers in a league where the players are roughly 70% Black. Hello, and welcome to Five Things. He has an overall record of 62-50 in seven seasons. When I started teaching seven, eight years ago, I'd have a class of 50 students, it'd be 47 guys and three girls. The league has even gone to such drastic measures as partnering with rap legend JAY Z in the name of entertainment and social justice as a way to help accomplish its evasive mission. The fact is that Flores claims are hardly unique and help bolster critics suspicions that the NFL is intentionally trying to keep its head coaching ranks as white as possible despite the leagues so-called Rooney Rule, a policy that requires teams to interview at least one diverse candidate when looking to hire new coaches. Wilks didnt do a good job in his first season with the Cardinals, but well never know if it was a fluke or the norm, as it was also his only season in Arizona. Green was 16-32 during his tenure and was replaced by Ken Whisenhunt. There have been six head coaches of the Houston Texans, a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas, United States.The Texans play in the South Division of the American Football Conference (AFC) in the National Football League (NFL).. Frazier finished the year 3-3, and got the interim tag taken off him. In the meantime, keep reading to get familiar with the dozens of Black people who have worked as NFL head coaches in the leagues more than 100-year history. After a long career as an assistant with the Patriots, Flores got a chance to run his own team when the Dolphins came calling in 2019. Notably, Jackson responded to Flores lawsuit by claiming he was subjected to similar treatment described in the complaint. Bowles was hired after Rex Ryans roller coaster ride with the Jets ended with a 4-12 finish in 2014. Frederick Pollard Frederick Douglass "Fritz" Pollard Fritz Pollard was the first African-American football player to play at Brown University. The first version of the policy required every team with a head coaching vacancy to interview at least one minority during their process. Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. This is the NFL, a place where Black coaches get treated like third-class citizens. He coached the Raiders from 1989-1994, then returned to the team for one season in 2006. NFC Head Coaches Arizona Cardinals | Jonathan Gannon* Atlanta Falcons | Arthur Smith Carolina Panthers | Frank Reich* Chicago Bears | Matt Eberflus Dallas Cowboys | Mike McCarthy Detroit Lions | Dan Campbell Green Bay Packers | Matt LaFleur Los Angeles Rams | Sean McVay Minnesota Vikings | Kevin O'Connell New Orleans Saints | Dennis Allen Wilkes was not retained and Smith was fired. It was a positive thing. Below is a look at every Black coach thats been hired since then and a snapshot of their story. Tomlin was 10-6 in his first season and is still in Pittsburgh. Herman Herm Edwards, largely seen as a mentor to many current and former NFL players, coached the New York Jets from 2001-2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2006 to 2008, according to the Pro Football Reference website. Mike Tomlin, who, as of the time of this list being published, was the lone Black head coach in the NFL, has led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007. Mike Tomlin, who, as of the time of this list being published, was the lone Black head coach in the NFL, has led the Pittsburgh Steelers for 15 seasons since 2007. That's something Doug Whaley, the former NFL GM we met earlier, learned in his career. There are just SIX head coaches of color out of 32 in a league with a 70% non-white player base. Dennis Greeen was the Vikings Head Coach from 1992 to 2001, and his 97 regular-season wins rank second in franchise history. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Miami Dolphins under then-head coach Brian Flores during the 2021 season. Kwesi Adolfo-Mensah - General Manager of the Minnesota Vikings. Brian Flores, who used to be head coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed a class-action lawsuit against the NFL claiming there is racial discrimination in the hiring process. All Rights Reserved. Sandra Douglass Morgan - President of the Las Vegas Raiders. Studesville was the interim head coach of the Broncos in 2010, going 1-3 to finish out the season. If they truly want to change the system or if not, then we realize that they're just given it lip service. What's your systems? In all, Dungy has a head coaching record of 148-79-0 and won the regular season games he coached at a rate of nearly 70%, according to the pro football hall of fame website. During a nearly 40-year career coaching in the NFL, Robiskie was named an interim head coach twice once during the2000 season for the then-Washington Redskins and then during the 2004 season with the Cleveland Browns, according to the Pro Football History website. Sign up for NewsOne's email newsletter! He retired after the 2008 season and was replaced by Jim Caldwell who was the teams coach-in-waiting, in a rare occurrence of a team having back-to-back Black coaches. After serving as the defensive coordinator for the Ravens from 1996-2001, Lewis accepted a new position within the division, coaching the Bengals from 2003-2018.